Al-Qasas 28:38–51

The Arrogance of Fir`awn and His ultimate Destiny

Allah tells us of Fir`awn's disbelief and wrongdoing, and how he falsely claimed divinity for his evil self, may Allah curse him.

(Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him.) 43:54 He called on his people to recognize his divinity, and they responded, because of their weak and foolish minds. So, he said:

(O chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than me.) Allah tells us about Fir`awn:

(Then he gathered (his people) and cried aloud, saying: "I am your lord, most high." So Allah, seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression. Verily, in this is an instructive admonition for whosoever fears Allah.) (79:23-26) meaning: he brought his people together and called to them in a loud voice, shouting that, and they responded to him obediently. So Allah took revenge on him, and made him a lesson to others in this world and the Hereafter. He even confronted Musa with that, and said:

(If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners) (26:29).

(So kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a Sarh in order that I may look at the God of Musa;) He commanded his minister and adviser Haman to bake bricks for him, i.e., to make bricks in order to build a Sarh, a exalted towering palace. This is like the Ayah,

(And Fir`awn said: "O Haman! Build me a Sarh that I may arrive at the ways -- the ways of the heavens, and I may look upon the God of Musa, but verily, I think him to be a liar." Thus it was made fair seeming, in Fir`awn's eyes, the evil of his deeds, and he was hindered from the path; and the plot of Fir`awn led to nothing but loss and destruction) (40:36-37). Fir`awn built this tower, which was the highest structure ever seen on earth, because he wanted to show his people that Musa was lying when he claimed that there was a God other than Fir`awn. Fir`awn said:

(and verily, I think that he (Musa) is one of the liars.) meaning, `when he says that there is a lord other than me.' The issue was not whether Allah had sent Musa, because he did not acknowledge the existence of the Creator in the first place. On the contrary, he said:

(And what is the Lord of Al-`Alamin) (26:23) and:

(If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners.) (26:29) and he said:

(O chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than me.) This was the view of Ibn Jarir.

(And he and his armies were arrogant in the land, without right, and they thought that they would never return to Us.) means, they were arrogant oppressors who spread much mischief in the land, and they believed that there would be no Resurrection.

(So, your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment. Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful (over them).) (89:13-14). Allah says here:

(So, We seized him and his armies, and We threw them all into the sea.) meaning, `We drowned them in the sea in a single morning, and not one of them was left.'

(So, behold what was the end of the wrongdoers. And We made them leaders inviting to the Fire) for those who followed them and took the same path as they did, rejecting the Messengers and denying the Creator.

(and on the Day of Resurrection, they will not be helped.) their humiliation in this world is combined with and connected to their humiliation in the Hereafter, as Allah says:

(We have destroyed them. And there was none to help them) (47:13).

(And We made a curse to follow them in this world,) Allah decreed that they and their king Fir`awn should be cursed by the believers among His servants who follow His Messengers, just as in this world they were cursed by the Prophets and their followers.

(and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be among disgraced.) Qatadah said, "This Ayah is like the Ayah,

(They were pursued by a curse in this (life) and on the Day of Resurrection. Evil indeed is the gift given.) (11:99)."

The Blessings which Allah bestowed upon Musa

Allah tells us about the blessings which He gave His servant and Messenger Musa, the speaker, may the best of peace and blessings from his Lord be upon him, He revealed the Tawrah to him after He destroyed Fir`awn and his chiefs.

(after We had destroyed the generations of old) After the revelation of the Tawrah, no nation would again be punished with an overwhelming calamity; instead the believers were now commanded to fight the enemies of Allah among the idolators, as Allah says:

(And Fir`awn, and those before him, and the cities overthrown committed sin. And they disobeyed their Lord's Messenger, so He seized them with a strong punishment) (69:9-10).

(as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy,) guidance from blindness and error. A guidance to the truth and a mercy means, to show the way towards doing righteous deeds.

(that they might remember.) means, that the people might be reminded and guided by it.

Proof of the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ

Allah points out the proof of the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ, whereby he told others about matters of the past, and spoke about them as if he were hearing and seeing them for himself. But he was an illiterate man who could not read books, and he grew up among a people who knew nothing of such things. Similarly, Allah told him about Maryam and her story, as Allah said:

وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُون أَقْلَمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ

(You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam; nor were you with them when they disputed) (3:44), meaning, `you were not present then, but Allah has revealed this to you.' Similarly, Allah told him about Nuh and his people, and how He saved Nuh and drowned his people, then He said:

تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَآءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَآ إِلَيْكَ مَا كُنتَ تَعْلَمُهَآ أَنتَ وَلاَ قَوْمُكَ مِن قَبْلِ هَذَا فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

(This is of the news of the Unseen which We reveal unto you ; neither you nor your people knew it before this. So, be patient. Surely, the (good) end is for those who have Taqwa) (11:49). And at the end of the same Surah (Hud) Allah says:

ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَآءِ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيْكَ

(That is some of the news of the towns which We relate unto you) (11: 100). And here, after telling the story of Musa from beginning to end and how Allah began His revelation to him and spoke with him, Allah says:

وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِىِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَى مُوسَى الاٌّمْرَ

(And you were not on the western side (of the Mount), when We made clear to Musa the commandment,) meaning, `you -- O Muhammad -- were not on the western side of the mountain where Allah spoke to Musa from the tree which was to the east of it, in the valley.'

وَمَا كنتَ مِنَ الشَّهِدِينَ

(and you were not among the witnesses.) `to that event, but Allah has revealed this to you,' so that it may be evidence and proof of events which happened centuries ago, for people have forgotten the evidence that Allah established against them and what was revealed to the earlier Prophets.

وَمَا كُنتَ ثَاوِياً فِى أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَتِنَا

(And you were not a dweller among the people of Madyan, reciting Our Ayat to them.) meaning, `you were not living among the people of Madyan reciting Our Ayat to them, when you started to tell about Our Prophet Shu`ayb and what he said to his people and how they responded.'

وَلَكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ

(But it is We Who kept sending. ) means, `but We revealed that to you and sent you to mankind as a Messenger.'

وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا

(And you were not at the side of At-Tur when We called.) Qatadah said that:

وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا

(And you were not at the side of At-Tur when We did call.) refers to Musa, and this -- and Allah knows best -- is like the Ayah:

وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِىِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَى مُوسَى الاٌّمْرَ

(And you were not on the western side (of the Mount), when We made clear to Musa the commandment,) Here Allah puts it in a different and more specific way by describing it as a call. This is like the Ayat:

وَإِذْ نَادَى رَبُّكَ مُوسَى

(And (remember) when your Lord called Musa) (26:10).

إِذْ نَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى

(When his Lord called him in the sacred valley of Tuwa) (79:16).

وَنَدَيْنَهُ مِن جَانِبِ الطُّورِ الاٌّيْمَنِ وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ نَجِيّاً

(And We called him from the right side of At-Tur, and made him draw near to Us for a talk with him) (19:52).

وَلَكِن رَّحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ

(But (you are sent) as a mercy from your Lord,) means, `you were not a witness to any of those things, but Allah has revealed them to you and told you about them as a mercy from Him to you and to His servants, by sending you to them,'

لِتُنذِرَ قَوْماً مَّآ أَتَهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(to give warning to a people to whom no warner had come before you, in order that they may remember or receive admonition.) means, `so that they may be guided by that which you bring from Allah.'

وَلَوْلا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً

(And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) -- in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they would have said: "Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger) meaning: `and We have sent you to them to establish proof against them, and to give them no excuse when the punishment of Allah comes to them because of their disbelief, lest they offer the excuse that no Messenger or warner came to them.' This is like what Allah says about the situation after He revealed His blessed Book the Qur'an:

أَن تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ الْكِتَبُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَفِلِينَ أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ

(Lest you should say: "The Book was sent down only to two sects before us, and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied." Or lest you should say: "If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they." So, now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy) (6:156-157).

رُّسُلاً مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ

(Messengers as bearers of good news as well as warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers) (4:165).

يَأَهْلَ الْكِتَبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلَى فَتْرَةٍ مَّنَ الرُّسُلِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا جَآءَنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلاَ نَذِيرٍ فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ

(O People of the Scripture! Now has come to you Our Messenger making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of) Messengers, lest you say: "There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner." But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner) (5:19). And there are many similar Ayat.

The stubborn Response of the Disbelievers

Allah tells us that if people were to be punished before proof was established against them, they would use the excuse that no Messenger came to them, but when the truth did come to them through Muhammad ﷺ, in their stubbornness, disbelief, ignorance and misguided thinking, they said:

لَوْلا أُوتِىَ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَى

(Why is he not given the like of what was given to Musa) Meaning -- and Allah knows best -- many signs like the staff, the hand, the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the destruction of crops and fruits -- which made things difficult for the enemies of Allah -- and the parting of the sea, the clouds (following the Children of Israel in the wilderness and) shading them, the manna and quails, and other clear signs and definitive proof, miracles which Allah wrought at the hands of Musa as evidence and proof against Fir`awn and his chiefs and the Children of Israel. But all of this had no effect on Fir`awn and his chiefs; on the contrary, they denied Musa and his brother Harun, as Allah tells us:

أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءابَاءَنَا وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا الْكِبْرِيَآءُ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers following, and that you two may have greatness in the land We are not going to believe you two!) (10:78)

فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْلَكِينَ

(So they denied them both and became of those who were destroyed.) (23:48)

The Rebellious do not believe in Miracles

Allah says here:

أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُواْ بِمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَى مِن قَبْلُ

(Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old) Did not mankind disbelieve in those mighty signs which were given to Musa

قَالُواْ سِحْرَانِ تَظَهَرَا

(They say: "Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!") cooperating or working one with the other.

وَقَالُواْ إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَفِرُونَ

(And they say: "Verily, in both we are disbelievers.") meaning, `we disbelieve in each of them.' Because of the close relationship between Musa and Harun, mention of one includes the other.

False Accusation that Musa and Harun (peace be upon them both) practiced Magic

Mujahid bin Jabr said, "The Jews told Quraysh to say this to Muhammad , then Allah said: `Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old They say: Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!' This refers to Musa and Harun, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them both,

تَظَهَرَا

(each helping the other) i.e., working together and supporting one another." This was also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr and Abu Razin that the phrase "two kinds of magic" referred to Musa and Harun. This is a good suggestion. And Allah knows best.

The Response to this False Accusation

سِحْرَانِ تَظَهَرَا

(Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!) `Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that this refers to the Tawrah and the Qur'an, because Allah says next:

قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِكِتَبٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ

(Say: "Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two that I may follow it.") Allah often mentions the Tawrah and the Qur'an together, as in the Ayat:

قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَبَ الَّذِى جَآءَ بِهِ مُوسَى نُوراً وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ

(Say: "Who then sent down the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to mankind...) until:

وَهَذَا كِتَبٌ أَنزَلْنَهُ مُبَارَكٌ

(And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down.") (6:91-92) And at the end of the same Surah, Allah says:

ثُمَّ ءاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَبَ تَمَامًا عَلَى الَّذِى أَحْسَنَ

(Then, We gave Musa the Book, to complete (Our favor) upon those who would do right) (6: 154).

وَهَذَا كِتَبٌ أَنزَلْنَهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُواْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

(And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and have Taqwa of Allah, that you may receive mercy) (6:155). And the Jinn said:

إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَباً أُنزِلَ مِن بَعْدِ مُوسَى مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

(Verily, we have heard a Book sent down after Musa, confirming what came before it) (46:30). Waraqah bin Nawfal said, "This is An-Namus, who came down to Musa." And those who are possessed of insight know instinctively that among the many Books which He has sent down to His Prophets, there is no Book more perfect, more eloquent or more noble than the Book which He revealed to Muhammad ﷺ, which is the Qur'an. Next to it in status and greatness is the Book which Allah revealed to Musa bin `Imran, which is the Book concerning which Allah says:

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالاٌّحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَبِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَآءَ

(Verily, We did send down the Tawrah, therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's will, judged for the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests, for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto) (5:44). The Injil was revealed as a continuation and complement of the Tawrah and to permit some of the things that had been forbidden to the Children of Israel. Allah says:

قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِكِتَبٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَدِقِينَ

(Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two, that I may follow it, if you are truthful.) meaning, `in your efforts to refute the truth with false arguments.'

فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَكَ

(But if they answer you not,) means, `if they do not respond to what you tell them, and do not follow the truth,'

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ

(then know that they only follow their own lusts.) means, with no basis or evidence. p

وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِّنَ اللَّهِ

(And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah) means, with no guidance taken from the Book of Allah.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّلِمِينَ

(Verily, Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers.)

وَلَقَدْ وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ الْقَوْلَ

(And indeed now We have conveyed the Word) Mujahid said: "We have explained the Word to them." As-Suddi said something similar. Qatadah said: "Allah is saying, `He has told them what He did in the past and what He will do in the future."'

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(in order that they may remember.) Mujahid and others said:

وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ

(We have conveyed the Word) means, to Quraysh.